1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a diagnostic system for a power converter.
2. Related Art
Audio systems, such as those used in vehicles, may include a variety of system components. Such system components may include various audio sources, audio signal processors, channel power amplifiers, power supplies, and the like. In vehicle installations, as well as other installations, these components are subjected to a variety of conditions that may result in faulty operation of the audio system. Some defects may arise due to faulty installation and/or manufacture of the audio system. For example, non-connected and/or open transducers may occur at the time of manufacture. Other defects may result from longer term exposure to the ambient conditions in which the audio system operates thereby becoming evident only after the audio system has been in operation for a time. Faults resulting from short and open connections as well as defective transducers are not uncommon when the audio system is subject to long term thermal and vibrational stress. For example, channel power amplifiers (or other power converters) may have their outputs shorted to ground, to battery circuits, or to each other.
Shorts between significantly dissimilar potentials may result in large currents that can activate the protection circuitry of an amplifier. In such situations, any occurrence of an overcurrent event would most likely be the consequence of some form of short on the overloaded output. What is not evident from the overcurrent event signal is the specific nature of the fault. Additional information may be required in order to discern the nature of the fault. Therefore, a need exists to better diagnose the cause of overcurrents or other errors in an audio system.